Ex-ODI chief Jeni Tennison tells PublicTechnology how and why she created Connected by Data to help citizens have a say in how their data is used by government and others
“The question is how you make decisions about what good looks like for sharing data in that ‘grey area’: who makes the decisions about who gets access to data – and to do what with it? That was the question that started to really interest me,” says Jeni Tennison, founder and executive director of Connected by Data.
The ‘grey area’ in question concerns data that is unsuitable to be treated as open data that is accessible, shareable, and useable by anyone. This more closed category is likely to include the kind of sensitive personal information which government holds in vast quantities – and increasingly puts to use for various means.
After engaging with experts from academia and civil society, Tennison, a former long-standing senior leader at the Open Data Institute, found a recurrent answer to her question.
“The people who are affected by the use of this data are the ones that should be making decisions about how it gets used,” she says.
Having left the ODI, Tennison three years ago created Connected by Data, a non-profit entity established with the mission statement: “We want communities to have a powerful say in decisions about data so that it is used to create a just, equitable and sustainable world.”
Tennison tells PublicTechnology that a lot of organisations – in both the public and private sectors – currently place “a lot of emphasis on individual control over data as being the way of making sure that it only gets used for good purposes – whatever ‘good’ means”.
“And [they do not] have the kind of policies and processes – and even the practice – in place about how to involve affected communities in governing data and AI. So, I set up Connected by Data to try and bridge that gap between what people said we should be doing… and what we are doing in reality.”
“Often it’s not just about the decision accuracy of the system, it’s also about how it makes people feel – whether it provides a bit of interpersonal contact and a feeling of being seen as a human, which is important when it comes to public services.”
Jeni Tennison, Connected by Data
Since its formation, Connected by Data has supported a range of projects and worked with various partners.
In November 2023, shortly before the government ran the global AI Safety Summit in Bletchley Park – an event which was criticised for largely failing to include civil society – the organisation convened a People’s Panel on AI. This brought together representatives of the general public to discuss developments emerging from the high-profile gathering of figures included Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk.
Gavin Freeguard, a policy associate that works with Connected by Data, says: “They came up with some really great stuff… which I think showed that, even at short notice, you can relatively quickly and relatively cheaply pull together some really powerful examples of how the public thinks about things.”
Other initiatives supported by Connected by Data since 2022 include a programme of work – funded by charity The Mohn Westlake Foundation – dedicated to “giving communities a powerful say in public sector data and AI projects”.
This work has encompassed the development of case studies outlining how communities are impacted by how public bodies are using data and artificial intelligence. Design labs have also been run with the aim of helping to create guidance that could help support public sector entities in future in areas including policymaking related to AI and data, as well as the procurement of tech systems.
Connected by Data has also delivered projects in partnership with the likes of the TUC, the Local Government Association, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Research ICT Africa.
Next week, on 20 March in central London, the organisation is convening a conference – or, more accurately, an ‘unconference’, in which the agenda is set by attendees on the day – for public sector representatives interested in how to involve citizens and communities in decisions about data.
The public and the public sector
While its remit covers all organisations using data, the organisation’s work to date has taken a particular interest in public sector agencies.
Freeguard says: “We’ve had a lot of conversations – particularly over the last couple of years, but even for a longer time period than that – with people in government who really understand the importance of listening to people and listening to communities. And knowing that [this] will improve what they’re doing, and make it better-suited to serving the public. They just don’t know how to do that.”
In a world where the public sector might use individuals’ data for purposes including planning, service delivery and research – as well as sometimes sharing information with commercial or other third parties – Tennison says that members of the public often have a number of concerns.
“It’s in part about privacy, and worries that some commercial organisation with which this data is shared will then use it, [for example], to set insurance premiums, inform my credit rating, [or] to make it make recommendations about me for recruitment – that’s a very personal thing about how this data might impact me,” she adds.
“There is also a set of concerns about whether the uses are ethical, and whether it’s OK for this particular decision-making to be going on – particularly when it impacts on minoritised groups, or might have some faulty biases within it. People are worried about the accuracy and the effectiveness of the kinds of ways in which data gets used.”
To address these concerns – and, in doing so, ensure they are “building the right kinds of systems, and the ones that are actually going to work for people” – Tennison recommends that public bodies try and bring in citizens’ views at each stage of the development of policy and technology.
This could begin by working with communities to establish a set of guiding principles – as exemplified by Camden Council which, in early 2022, launched a Data Charter, developed in conjunction with a residents’ panel.
After these foundations are in place, Tennison says “you can then get into more details – for example, if you are thinking about developing a system, involving the people who will be affected by it in the impact assessment process, right near the start, to [consider] what kinds of harms they can see foresee might happen, and what kinds of mitigations you might put in place in order to stop those from happening”.
The Connected by Data founder adds that discussions with those who might be affected by a new data system should also include staff. This can provide insight on the potential impact on their wellbeing, but also on how platforms and policies should best be monitored and evaluated once they are up and running.
Tennison adds: “Because often it’s not just about the decision accuracy of the system, it’s also about how it makes people feel – whether it provides a bit of interpersonal contact and a feeling of being seen as a human, which is important when it comes to public services – whether it provides a bit of a ceremony or something that helps to build a sense of worth in the interactions.”
As processes progress, public bodies could also consider bringing in citizens as temporary members of development teams, acting as “an active part of the feedback and iteration cycle that we should be having with these kinds of systems”.
Legal updates
A firm requirement – rather than simply an encouragement – to include citizens’ voice during impact assessments is one of various legislative changes Connected by Data would like to see.
This includes tweaks to the pending Data (Use and Access) Bill which was introduced to parliament in October and, according to Tennison (pictured below right), contains measures taking government “in the wrong direction”. In particular, its introduction of ‘recognised legitimate interests” for using personal data.
“Currently, under ‘legitimate interests’ you have to perform – on a case-by-case basis – a balancing test to identify whether or not your uses of data are going to impact negatively on the people that might be affected by it,” she adds. “Under the Data (Use and Access) Bill, there is a whole slew of areas where you don’t need to do that… our contention is that we should recognise that decisions about data and AI systems need to be taken in a very context-specific way, and they need to take into account the views of the people who are going to be affected by it.”
As it works to address such potential problems, Connected by Data – and civil society more broadly – can serve as an “accountability mechanism” that Tennison encourages the public sector to embrace, rather than recoil from.
“It is about seeing accountability not as a threat, but as a way of getting to improvement,” she adds. “We all want public sector technology to work well and for public benefit. Bringing in the public and engaging positively with civil society is how we can get to it working well, and how we manage to iterate towards something that is working for everybody.”
Anyone interested in attending the Connected by Data unconference on 20 March – including any public sector representatives that have previously run participatory processes, or are interested in doing so – can find out more or register their interest here.
